The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-06-29
THE GRAVE OF MILES sTANDIsH.
Seeking for the Last Resting Place of the
Great Puritan Soldier.

Seeking for the Last Resting Place of the
Great Puritan Soldier.
In later years efforts have been made
to establish the place of burial of the
old pilgrim warrior, and as far as au-
thenticity goes the results have been
diverse and discouraging, the various
spots claimed to be his last resting
place being scattered over at least a
square mile, says O Duxbury CORE
spondent of the Boston Herald, writing
OF Miles Standish. Probably the most
direct tradition concerning the subject
Is the following, derived from Miss
Caroline b. Hall, a descendant of Cap
tain Standish in the seventh genera
ton, whose brother, James Hall, col
lected much of the historical knowledge
We now possess relative to his ancestor:
About sixteen years ago Benjamin
Prior, O once wealthy shipbuilder OF
Duxbury, died in the aims house. Some
years before his death he informed
Mrs. Ruth Hall, daughter of Olive
Standish and mother of the present
Miss Hall, that Captain Standish
terry at South Duxbury, nearly
opposite the Prior homestead Mrs.
Hall noted the fact at the
time, and since her decease, some years
since, the memorandum has been
found. Mr.. Prior said that his father
had told him of the burial, he having
learned it in turn from his father, who
said that he attended the funeral and
further said the grave was marked by
two three-cornered stones, one at the
head and one at the foot. The Priors
were all long-lived, Benjamin dying at
the age of 80 years, and being noted
for his remarkable memory of events.
The intervening 231 years since the
death of Standish, Oct. 3, 1856, can be
bridged by three people having an av-
erage age of II years. Prior's house
stood nearly opposite the cemetery, and
such an event as the burial of Standish
would be remembered by the family.
The cemetery is short distance west
of Halls Corner, South Duxbury, less
than three-fourths of mile from the
residence of the old soldier. A rough
post and rail fence incloses it on three
sides, while the fourth, next to the
street, is bounded by a pretty rustic
fence of cedar. It's area is less
than an acre, and the surface is over
grown with rank, uncared-for gaass,
interlaced with tangled blackberry
vines. There are no boundaries to
lots, interments having been made in
little groups, various clusters of slate
stones bearing the names of Winslow,
Alden, Cushman and Brewster, de-
scendants of the Mayfower band. A
noticeable feature is the lack of cpl
taphs on the stones, some of which
date back to the end of the sixteenth
century. In Standish's will, dated
"Duxburrow, March the 7th, 1885,"
and presented for probate by Captain
James Cudworth, May 4, 1867, the
testator states: MY will is that out
of my whole estate my funeral charges
be taken out and my body be buried in
decent manner, and if / die at Dux-
burrow my body to be laid as near rs
convently may bee to my two dear
daughters Dora Standish my daughter
and Mary Standish my daughter-in-
law" In the center of the cemetery is
a grave marked by three sided, pyra-
midal-shaped stones at the head and
foot, while two other depressions close
at hand indicate other ancient graves
How old this grave may be is not
known, but it seems to bear out the
tradition remarkably.